A Vision Without Action
“Daydream” – A dreamlike musing or fantasy while awake, especially of the fulfillment of wishes or hopes.
Picture yourself being eight years old again, laying in the tall grass of your backyard, with the birds chirping, a clear blue sky, and the sun shining down, warming your skin. Now, let your mind wonder. While laying there, what goes through your mind? Do you think about the future, the past, or the present? Do you fantasize about a wish or dream coming true? Or do you just enjoy the peace and quiet? The possibilities are endless. Anyone can relate to daydreaming. Whether it be during class, during work, walking down the street, or right before falling asleep, daydreams smother our thoughts and take over our minds, sometimes without us noticing we are even doing it. Although we ourselves sometimes do not realize we are daydreaming, other people usually can by noticing the typical “thinking-look” on our face, which basically consists of a blank stare, wandering eyes, a slight head tilt, and not really showing any emotion. That exact look is what is portrayed in Dorothea Lange's photograph titled Young Girl.
Dorothea Lange's Young Girl was published in 1962, just three years before Lange's death. Lange's photographs focus on the modern American and their strength to get through the tough times. Some of the major events she focused on were The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, and World War II. She photographed mothers, fathers, children, soldiers, migrant workers, the homeless, and many more and her pictures showed real people, going through real struggles. She never edited her pictures and she wanted to show the truth behind them. Lange preferred natural light and a low-angle approach, which is exactly how her picture Young Girl was photographed. This black and white photograph is of a young girl, about eight or nine years old, laying in tall grass, and looking up at the sky. It was taken in the sunlight and the shadows of the tall grass are present on the girl's face and clothes. The photograph was taken at a low angle from the waist of the girl and up. The expression on the girl's face shows no emotion and nothing but a blank, upward stare. The girl's left arm is up and around her resting head and the right arm is laying slightly out to her side. The girl is wearing what seems to look like a wool sweater and her few hairs that stick up suggest the wind may be slightly blowing. She looks very calm and relaxed showing signs of thinking and/or daydreaming. The photograph gives no hints of what she may be looking at or thinking about, which allows viewers to ask themselves the question, “What is on this girl's mind?” I think the main purpose of this image is to get the viewer guessing of what exactly the girl's thoughts are and to maybe allow the viewer to relate themselves to the girl and ponder their own thoughts.
I came across this picture and immediately wanted to learn more. Why did Lange choose this girl for her photograph? Why is the photograph in black and white? Where exactly is this photograph being taken at? After searching for information on this photograph, I unfortunately found very little. I was unable to find the girl's name or age. One thing I do know is that Lange was back photographing in the United States at that time and that she was in the Middle East. I could not find the exact location of where this photograph was taken. It seemed like I was running into a “dead end” every time I was trying to learn more about this picture, but then I asked myself if maybe there was a reason this kept happening to me. Why was this photograph not one of Lange's more popular photographs?
The photograph, Young Girl, was published in 1962, around the end of Lange's career because of her death in 1965. Lange found out she was diagnosed with terminal esophageal cancer. At the time she was traveling around the world still photographing the hardships of the average person, but decided to return home to the Middle East of the United States and spend time with her family. Once she returned she started photographing her children, her grandchildren, and her surroundings. I am almost positive that the girl in the photograph is one of Lange's many grandchildren. Once home she continued being interviewed and working on her biggest project yet, a one-person show planned at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Lange died on October 11 at age 70.
The photograph, Young Girl, was taken in black and white because Lange refused to tamper with her work. I personally like that fact that Lange chose to take her photographs in black and white because it makes the image seem simple, yet complex when you look deeper into it. When you first glance at the photograph, Young Girl, you just see a little girl laying in the tall grass looking upward, but when you start to think about it you wonder what exactly is she staring at, what was this taken, when was it taken, why is it in black and white, and what is she thinking about? I think if this photo would have been taken in color it would just be another average picture of an adorable child. I also like the fact that Lange does not meddle with her photographs. Her images show the truth about what was going on in the world at that time, and I think that is what made Lange so popular. Photographs should be beautiful and appreciated without them being edited. Editing an image takes away it's reality and makes it seem fake, and I think that when viewers realize the photo has been edited they look at it and analyze it completely different than when they looked at it the first time. Another thing that I noticed about the photograph Young Girl, is that it was taken at an angle from the girl's waist and up. Lange preferred to take a majority of her photographs at an angle and I think she chose to take this one at the angle she did because it helps the viewer realize that the girl is laying down and gazing up, rather than just looking straight at the camera. Lange's approach to photography was unlike anyone else's at that time and to this day she is still an icon that many photographers strive to be like. She is and will remain one of the best photographers of her era.
One of the biggest things that stick out in the photograph, Young Girl, is the look on her face and the unknown question of what she is staring at and/or thinking about. Is she looking up at the sky? Is she laying under a tree? Could she be daydreaming or could she just being think about her day so far? The look on her face is calm and relaxed, yet there is a puzzled look in her eye. You can tell she is either thinking about something or daydreaming. I searched for hours looking for an answer, but I was unable to find anything. But then again, maybe that was done intentionally. Maybe the viewers are not really supposed to know, and the purpose of the picture is to make us wonder and to maybe try and figure it out.
Overall, I personally chose this picture because I wanted to know the true meaning behind it. I speaks strongly to me and although I never truly uncovered the real message behind the picture, I still enjoyed trying. I think that I was not supposed to uncover the real story behind this photograph because it was either a personal photograph taken by Lange for her own purpose, or it was intentional. Either way, I think it is the mystery behind this photograph that draws me to it and the fact that I can relate to it in a way. Practically anyone can. We have all had our moments where we just need to relax and think or daydream and when viewers see this photograph they will probably tend to start thinking about their lives or daydream themselves. What's on your mind right now?
